1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thin film member useful for sealing an ink outlet (an ejection outlet or the like) or an air communication hole, or for fixing tentatively an article of an ink-recording head. The present invention also relates to a recording head employing the thin film member. The thin film of the present invention is suitably used as a sealing tape.
2. Related Background Art
Conventionally, in ink-jet apparatuses, clogging of ink-nozzles during transportation, or trouble in ink ejection, is prevented by covering the ink ejection outlet face with a capping device having an absorbent as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-198161.
Recently, cartridge type ink-jet recording heads having an integral ink tank have been developed, and consequently, protecting members for protecting the ink ejection outlet face without employing a capping device are proposed. Typically, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-204348 discloses a cap-shaped protecting member having an ink absorbent provided at the ejection outlet; and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-125851 discloses a sealing tape composed basically of a vinylidene chloride resin for protecting the ejection outlet.
The conventional capping devices, however, are liable to cause overflow of ink during transportation of an ink-jet recording apparatus owing to rough movement during the transportation or other causes. The overflow leads to soiling of the interior of the recording apparatus.
This phenomenon was studied, and has been newly found to be dependent largely on the overall properties of the sealing member itself including its adhering portion that bonds to the opening or the joint portion, rather than on the bonding strength of the pressure-sensitive adhesive. Further comprehensive study on the properties has made it clear that elongation or bending properties of the sealing member in a thin film form (e.g., a tape) are important for resistance to environmental variation and for durability. Accordingly, the present invention is directed to exclude the use of a cap-shaped protecting member to fix the sealing member by giving it suitable conditions to seal an ink container portion.
A conventional protecting sealing tape, for example, which is constituted at least of a support and a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer laminated thereon is not satisfactory in sealing of an irregular face, resulting in gradual peeling during a long term of storing to cause leakage of ink. The sealing member is required to be capable of preventing ink leakage for a long term, even in the case where the sealed face has a stepped structure, an irregular surface structure, or a discontinuous structure.